Stop. Don’t post that post! 7 questions to ask before you hit publish

This is a guest contribution by Kate Toon, an award-winning SEO and advertising copywriter.

You have a blog post.

Who cares whether you wrote it yourself or paid someone to create it? It’s the right length.

You’ve shoe-horned your chosen keyword phrase ‘Pink llama-wool pyjamas’ into it five times. You’ve downloaded a cool image and even managed to code it into WordPress.

It’s time to press upload, right? Wrong.

Before you do anything, stop and ask yourself these seven critical questions.

Does your blog post target your audience?

Have you written a generic ‘appeals to everyone’ (read ‘no one’) vanilla article? Or are you targeting a particular niche? Try to get inside the mind of your audience, then read your blog post again. Does it address a particular need or concern? Or is it all blah yawn blah?

Is the blog post credible?

An especially important question to ask if the blog post has been written by a third party. Even more so if you used a $5-a-post copy shop. Very few writers will care about your business as much as you do, or write with true passion about your subject matter. True heart in writing shines through.

So be sure not only that the facts are checked but also that the blog rings true and doesn’t sound like marketing fluff.

Is the blog post unique?

This sounds impossible, right? With so many articles being posted in your niche, how can you write something unique? But even the most well-trodden ground can be given new life. Your tone of voice. Your viewpoint. Your inside knowledge can add a certain something to your blog.

It’s very important to write with a strong voice if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Is the blog post useful? (Or at least entertaining?)

A great place to start with useful content is by addressing the customer enquiries and questions you’ve received. Each one is potential post. But when these are all covered it’s important to keep your finger on your audience’s collective pulse. What are the market trends? What’s in the news? What are they talking about on Twitter?

If all else fails, at least try to be entertaining, interesting and funny.

Is the blog post easy to understand?

Now I could direct you to some snazzy readability tool, but how about we just use common sense? Check your writing for:

Long rambling sentences.

Long complicated words.

Poorly phrased sentences.

Pay extra attention to those first 100 words. If a reader can’t get through those as easily as a knife through warm butter, your post is in trouble.

Would you share this blog post?

If the blog didn’t have your name on it, would you forward it to a friend? What would you say in the email that accompanied it? ‘Check out this awesome history of llama wool production in Peru’?

If you wouldn’t share it, why would others?

Does the post address a your goals?

All the other points have been about your readers and rightly so. But this one is all about you. Why are you posting the article? Is it just to add some fresh content? To give you a boost for a certain keyword? To cover off a reader enquiry? To launch a new product or idea? To attract a new audience? To give your opinion on a news event? Or all of the above?

If you can’t answer each question with a confident ‘YES’, then you need to go back to the drawing board. This might seem like tough love, but it can just take one crappy post to put a potential customer off your blog.

When it comes to blogging, ask yourself the tough questions and don’t settle for second best.

Kate Toon is an award-winning SEO and advertising copywriter with over 18 years’ experience. She’s also a well-respected SEO consultant, information architect, strategist, hula hooper and CremeEgg-lover based in Sydney, Australia.

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Comments

I really like the point – Would you share this blog post, I mean, yeah this is something we all should focus on before writing/publishing any post in our blog that whether we or not share it. Once we are absolutely sure with the content that yeah this is something people gonna make viral on social network. Then I think is the right time to publish any article.

Yep agreed Irfan going viral is always the goal, but it’s also important not to set the goals too high. Even if it just pleases your small existing readership, that’s a good.
I think it’s best to write first – from the heart- then go back through the next day and ask yourself the questions before. Otherwise they could stifle your creativity completely!

Yep Zack, it’s a toughie, I look back at some of my old posts and think, ‘um no I wouldn’t’
Another good question to ask, is if you didn’t care about SEO would you still write and publish the article?
Thanks for commenting.
Kate

More often than not, many people don’t actually realize what all should go into a good blog post to make it worth your blog and visitor’s while. It’s not just writing content for the sake of it (keep back-up posts for this) but providing useful content to your particular market that actually helps them move forward in some way.

In whatever way you can.

So many things go into one blog post that it’s certainly important to make sure you’ve checked off, read, reread, and finalized every idea you have before you hit publish.

I do believe though that as you write more and more your audience wouldn’t be too upset with a not-so-great post here and there but you should definitely have a focus and plan, not just write to make sure you have a post up.

Aw thanks Eric!
I totally agree, once you have a loyal following or audience, the odd duff post won’t offend. But I see so many people shoving up a quick 300 word post that has no real value or is just a regurgitated version of someone elses thinking. Don’t you?
I rather bloggers posted one considered, researched article a week. Than 3 fluffy ones.

My first priority is always to post something useful or entertaining for my target audience; but I have to admit the other things are difficult to always achieve. Still, it’s always good to keep them in mind.

Hi Arif
I’d say it has to be over 400 words to get any kind of argument or thought process developed. But as to maximum length I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule. If the post is engaging and well written, people will read and read.

However my aim when I finish a first draft is always to try and edit it down by 10% in the second draft.
It’s often good to get a second pair of eyes to help you eliminate the waffle.

Fabulous post Kate. I liked your question: “Would YOU share this post?” So true, and I’ll have to remember to ask myself that every time I sit down at a blank screen. I think this will help to ensure direction and relevance throughout the entire writing process. Thanks!

Hey MIchelle, thanks for commenting. Yes even thought often what we post is for a select audience, it’s important to ask yourself if you read this post would you think it was awesome enough to share with your chums? Obviously not everything you write is going to be bum clenchingly amazing, but we can try!

Kate, thanks for the insight. I barely started blogging (1 month) and I’m seriously struggling to find a niche. I think I need to pause and thoughtfully answer these questions before I continue posting. Thanks a lot, you are really appreciated!

Find a niche is tough. I’m not sure I’ve found mine yet :-) I’d go for finding your VOICE. If you have a strong voice, clear opinions and a strong writing style, you can write on very well trodden topics and give them new life.
Also be real. Be honest and to a degree blog as if you’re talking to a good friend or business colleague.
Good luck!

I work in four stages
1) Write it (often quite quickly when the idea hits me)
2) Check it the next day and tweak it
3) Get it proof read and edited
4) Publish it – then frantically edit it to get rid of all the mistakes I suddenly spot

I think as you go on writing you find your voice, work out which posts your visitors prefer and it all starts happening naturally. Do you agree?

Love it Kate. Especially the heart and soul bit. I think it’s also really important to have one message in mind and conclude with that. Maybe even write the end first so you are sure to keep to the point. Great advice, have bookmarked :)

For me I have always had a hard time in the beginning identifying who my audience but I realized if I didn’t find out quick I would be losing an uphill battle and end up talk to myself .I think the trap I feel into later is posting just for sake of keeping up with the schedule and not having my attention in what was being written which is deadly.I had to learn the hard way that its quality not quantity that matters

Unless you’re Darren Rowse, Seth Godin or Bethany Frankle (!?) no one is sitting there rocking gently by their computer screen WAITING for your next post.
Some times my brain is as much use as a bag of socks when it comes to thinking of a blog idea, then all of a sudden three appear all demanding to be written.

I think your last point it the most important. Early in my blogging career I wrote a post about CSR (corporate social responsibility). It was a meaty post with a lot of research. It received decent traffic, especially for a new blog. I was thrilled, at least for awhile. The problem is while I am interested in the topic and have strong views about it, it has nothing to do with my business. I couldn’t convert the interest in the post to anything because I don’t provide CSR services. In the end, all I did was confuse a burgeoning audience and disappoint a few new hopefuls who hoped I was joining ranks.

Ah yes, that’s a shame isn’t it?
That’s why early on I split my copywriting site from my writing site. I didn’t think my corporate clients would want to hear about my poetry books, and my play audience couldn’t give two hoots about how to create link bait.

While I think the odd off topic blog post is fine, it’s usually better to write once you’ve built up some rapport with your audience. And also balance it out. 90% interesting useful, relevant posts to 10% random nonsense. (It works for me!)

All great points. My favorite is in your comment, though, where you describe your four work stages. The fourth is me to a T: 4) Publish it – then frantically edit it to get rid of all the mistakes I suddenly spot

How come all those mistakes turn up after you’ve hit the Publish button???

Every time i write post on my blog i think to get good traffic for that.so i share it in social networking sites and follow some of the points what you mention in the post.From now i’ll try to implement whole 7 points to get better results.

I’m an Aussie and would be extremely happy to welcome you into my G+ Circles, my Email Subscriber List, my website’s Facebook Friends, Fans, Likes, or any other group or website that I have anything to do with online – I can’t think of any more right now, but you will be very welcome anywhere – we also have a spare room….although I’d have to check with the family first….:).

I know all of my personal blog posts are relevant to the subject matter of my site, but i do find myself publishing, then spending the next 10 minutes reviewing it and amending bits and miss-spellings etc. Preview, check, then live would be a much better process to follow from experience.

check list is really great; all the questions literally relevant but a few can also be added like:
Does its image related to contents
Does it have fresh subject or the stereotyped old ones
Does it carry balanced headlines and sub headlines
Anyway, overall the seven points really covered all the important points to note before hitting your post publish; thanks

Ah change that ‘lazy’ into a ‘busy’ and you’ll be much happier!
It’s great to use a professional proof reader, but it’s also expensive which is hard to justify unless you’re a big business and get a lot of value from your blog.

Great article. The points you address are right on target. Authors should also consider using photos in their posts to draw more attention to the subject matter being discussed. Everyone loves looking at photos. Again, thanks for sharing.

Yep photos are fab, ideally ones you’ve taken yourself or purchased. It’s important to check the copyright of all image and not ‘borrow’ from other sites without their permission. Images are a great way to draw the reader in and support your blog.

Great post and amazing comments too….it gives so much useful information. Information shared in comments is too good, because having so many concepts, questions, answers and thoughts on one topic at one place is just amazing…..got great ideas and it will surely help me publish things in websites in future…keep up the good work guys.

Good points. Reminds me of a blog post I wrote about two years ago on “How to overcome fears of sharing your blog contents – in 6minutes”. It may not seem related to this but it does in the sense that if you are not so confident about the content you are about to share, how the heck are you going to be confident sharing it with your face on it?
A clear goal, quality and targeted content are vital components of a worthy blog post.

Just incase you want to check out the article I mentioned, my name links to it.

Every time i write new posts on my blogs i leave it after publishing but don’t think about traffic.Now i’m realize that’s not right way.These 7 steps are give a boost to my blog traffic in coming days.Thank you